Valorant
Valorant
Valorant developers confirm Raze and Killjoy are girlfriends
Olivia Richman
Valorant developers have just confirmed a popular ship between two popular agents, Raze and Killjoy. There have been some hints in Valorant lore as of late that Raze and Killjoy are romantically involved. But it was never explicitly stated nor confirmed. That all changed on December 11, however. Raze and Killjoy are both very outspoken and sarcastic agents on the roster and a lot of interactions between the two have …
Valorant
Valorant map 9 could resemble Bind, here are images, teasers
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant map nine, codenamed Jam, is only a month away from release if speculations are correct. Teasers and leaks are also reaching a fever pitch. Here’s everything new we know about the upcoming location. Riot Games recently announced that Bind and Breeze would leave the active map pool in episode six. Since Riot had settled on magic number seven for the collection, removing two maps means a new location is …
Valorant
How to get Pocket Sage gun buddy for free in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant players can now get a cute Pocket Sage gun buddy by simply linking their Riot account to their Game Pass. Riot Games keep finding new ways to reward Valorant players. Whether it is Prime Gaming items or in-game events, there are plenty of ways players can bag free rewards. This time, Riot has lifted the curtain on a Valorant gun buddy for Game Pass members. Those who link the …
Valorant
Valorant game mode Swiftplay is now a shorter alternative to unrated
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant game modes are getting faster. You can now squeeze in a quick unranked game through Swiftplay that lasts for a maximum of eight rounds. Are you obsessed with Valorant but work doesn’t allow playing long and tedious unrated games? Fret not. Riot is introducing Swiftplay for busy players who like to hop in on the fun. It’s quick, cut-throat, and entertaining. The new game will join existing modes in …
Valorant
Valorant’s latest Christmas bundle has an icy twist
Fariha Bhatti
Riot is getting into the Christmas spirit with a new Valorant bundle Cryostasis, skins that freeze with ice-cold shots. Valorant developer rolls out a new bundle for the holiday season, but it’s mostly a letdown for skin enthusiasts. The green-screen glass bundles are too repetitive for the players, and they make sure the developer knows their likes and dislikes. So, Riot has finally taken notice, delivering Cryostasis. A unique skin …
Valorant
Valorant map Split returns, here’s everything we know about it
Fariha Bhatti
Split is returning in Valorant episode 6 act 1, replacing the dusty battleground of Bind. Here’s everything you need to know to win on Split. Split was part of Project: A and was easily one of the best maps. However, it had a surprisingly low play rate in pro games. So, when Riot rolled out Pearl, one had to go to accommodate the eighth map, and Split took the fall. …
Valorant
Valorant patch 5.12 will change almost all agents
Fariha Bhatti
Chamber isn’t the only Valorant agent getting tweaks. Riot Games is targeting almost the entire pack in the upcoming 5.12 patch update. Valorant’s most OP character, Chamber, recently landed under Riot’s ban hammer after months of player complaints. Now that the French Sentinel has been nerfed for good, Riot is diverting focus toward other agents. Credible leakers have dug out valuable information regarding upcoming balances, and Valorant players are shocked. …
Valorant
Split returns, Bind and Breeze out from Valorant 6.0 map pool
William Davis
Fan-favorite Valorant map Split is back in the competitive pool, but fans of Bind and Breeze are paying a heavy price for it. In an update on December 2, 2022, Riot Games announced several upcoming changes for the Valorant map pool. The list of changes coming in January 2023 includes the readdition of Split to the competitive pool, though the new version of the map will include several differences from …
Who is Juliano? The best female pro in Valorant and CSGO
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
VCT Game Changers was a defining moment of 2022 for women in gaming worldwide. About 230K people watched the final when Julia “juliano” Kiran spearheaded G2 Gozen to the win. The FPS gaming genre always had a surplus of women aiming to compete at a higher level, but a lack of support and tournaments held them back. Still, some pro players were stubborn to take every shot at competing, and Juliano was …
What is a Valorant badge and how do you get it?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant players can now flex their best agents and K/D on social media accounts. Here’s how you can create your custom Valorant badge. After each game, Riot tallies your overall performance and posts stats in bold. However, there was no easy way to get official ratings on each agent in the game besides third-party websites. Now, players can check out their individual stats and flex them on their friends and …
Valorant fans left with raised eyebrows over Chamber nerfs
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant agent Chamber is being nerfed once again, but some think the developer may have accidentally buffed the French Sentinel. Chamber has singlehandedly been wrecking the Valorant meta with his overpowered toolkit. Due to him, other agents have also been feeling out of place. Patch 5.12 finally tackles the issue, but his TP changes have raised eyebrows. The changes have gone live in PBE and will arrive worldwide on December …
Here’s when the next Valorant Night. Market returns
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
It’s time for broke Valorant players to stack up their inventories—the Night. Market is returning! Riot Games regularly rolls out extravagant, expensive bundles for skin collectors. Some are affordable, but others are just outrageous pricey. However, the developer is not counting out the regular players who like to enjoy a nice gun skin. Night. Market is Riot’s way of letting all players in on the fun. The Valorant thrift store …
Youngest Valorant Radiant player banned on Twitch
Nicholas James
Valorant
The youngest Valorant Radiant player has been banned on Twitch, and fans are split on whether or not the ban is justified. A Brazilian 11-year-old boy named Lucas is likely the youngest Valorant Radiant player, and streams his gameplay on Twitch. However, he has recently been banned on Twitch for breaking Twitch’s terms of service when it comes to the minimum age for someone to possess a Twitch account. Now, …
Killjoy can self-boost on Ascent and it’s too OP
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Boosting isn’t an intentional mechanic in Valorant, but some players are too good at tinkering with toolkits that they can get to odd spots. Killjoy can self-boost using her Turret on Ascent. The jolly German, Killjoy, isn’t developed for aggressive plays or tricks. Her simple toolkit is perfect for locking areas for safety. Killjoy must stay alive for her kit to work effectively, which is why it’s best if she …
Valorant dev reveals secret penalty for players who dodge games
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Have you ever noticed an unusual cut on your Rank Rating (RR) after losing a game with a decent scoreline? Riot Games likely punished you for dodging a game. Valorant players often complain about losing an “unfair” amount of RR despite doing everything to soften the blow of a game lost. For example, you’d lose a game after doing your personal best, and the game will still slash a high …
“It’s not worth it”: zombs announces retirement from pro Valorant
Olivia Richman
Valorant
Jared “zombs” Gitlin has announced that he no longer plans to play Valorant competitively. zombs had been on Sentinels’ bench since April 2022 after the team signed Eric “Kanpeki” Xu. Then, during the offseason, all 10 Valorant Champions Tour partner teams in North America announced their rosters for the upcoming season. Sentinels signed Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi, Bryan “pANcada” Luna, Rory “dephh” Jackson, and Hunter “SicK” Mims, leaving zombs on the …
How to request a refund for a Valorant skin
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant skins are expensive, but Riot Games is confident enough in the designs to accept refunds if you don’t like what you purchased. Some Valorant skins are relatively affordable, but the good ones can cost an arm and a leg. Riot charges for in-game sound elements, variants, VFX, kill banners, and more. Weapon skins don’t necessarily improve gameplay, but players often find that some aspects of a skin feels off. …
What Valorant PBE actually is and how to register for it
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot lets the Valorant community test out the significant Valorant changes through Public Beta Environment, but joining the PBE is more complicated than it seems. Since 2020, Riot has consistently rolled out patches to deliver instant bug fixes. However, some patches include game-changing nerfs, bugs, quality of life tweaks, and more that could be a hit or miss for regular players. So Riot whipped up a new way to see …
You’ve been breaking Sova’s dart all wrong, here’s the right way
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Breaking Sova’s dart usually involves revealing your position, but a less-known technique can keep you out of the crossfire. Valorant is almost three years old with more than 20 characters. But some agents are still unexplored. However, their complex kits have numerous easter eggs that will keep getting unveiled with time. Each Valorant agent is unique, with simple-to-use utility hiding tricks and techniques that only a few know. Content creator …
Valorant’s female-only Game Changers posts incredible viewer count
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant’s esports scene is truly thriving in 2022 as the first international VCT Game Changers becomes the second most-watched female tournament. In March 2021, Riot Games lifted the curtain on Valorant’s premier league for marginalized genders. It wagged many tongues, but a year later, the small circuit has blossomed into one of the biggest female tournaments in history. Besides entertaining games, the final has posted incredible numbers, prompting the Valorant …
Riot Games has long looked to expand its footprint beyond the success of popular MOBA League of Legends, and one of its biggest successes to date in this regard is the tactical shooter, Valorant. Blending traditional first-person shooter elements with unique and flashy hero abilities, Valorant seeks to combine the best attributes of tactical shooters and hero shooters into one cohesive experience.
Based on player feedback, the game has largely succeeded in accomplishing those aims. It’s not an easy balance, and it’s one that is arguably still tenuous, but Riot Games seems to be doing as good a job of it as most fans have hoped for.
What type of game is Valorant?
Valorant is a first-person shooter that represents a unique blend of the tactical shooter and hero shooter subgenres. There are some games that represent similar gameplay elements, but not many that offer the exact experience that Valorant puts forward to players.
The tactical shooter genre is often considered to have been defined by the release of the original Counter-Strike, a multiplayer mod for famed single-player PC title Half-Life that later became a standalone game of its own. While most multiplayer FPS games to that point emphasized prolonged battles between opposing players zipping around the game at high speeds, Counter-Strike slowed things down significantly and made players much more susceptible to each other’s firepower, requiring players to take a more tactical approach to play.
That slower and more tactical approach, combined with the lightning-quick nature of action when it does occur, proved reliably popular. That popularity can still be seen today with the ongoing success enjoyed by the Counter-Strike franchise, and it’s this gameplay type that represents the core of Valorant. It’s no accident that former Counter-Strike developers were drafted by Riot Games to help create Valorant during the game’s formative stages.
What differentiates Valorant from CS and other tactical shooters it that each of the game’s characters, called agents, wield a number of unique abilities. Some are typical for tactical shooters, like flashbangs and smokes, while others are wildly different, such as an ability that transports two players to an isolated dueling arena for its duration.
These agent abilities are more reminiscent of hero shooters, a subgenre that arguably got its start with the Team Fortress games but has best been popularized by Blizzard title Overwatch. The abilities, combind with the tactical considerations that are at the core of Valorant, separate it from most any other FPS experience available for play.
How does Valorant esports work?
Like many other popular competitive shooters, Valorant does have a thriving esports scene. That scene is differentiated by the way it’s run and controlled by developer and publisher Riot Games. Riot uses a model based on the success of its League of Legends esports scene, which sees the globe’s competitive players and team’s separated by region. These regions play out their own competitions in their sections of the world before coming together at regular intervals for international tournaments featuring the best teams from each individual region.
While League of Legends once boasted a variety of regions and regional types, Riot sought to simplify that model when setting up esports for Valorant. The game has only a handful of major regions, and these regions are held as largely equitable, each sending their best teams to international events leading up to the year-end VALORANT Champions event.
